‘Jeopardy!’: Did Champion Josh Weikert Beat the 4-Day Curse?

Four-day Jeopardy! champion Josh Weikert returned for his fifth game on Thursday, March 27. He tried to beat the dreaded four-day curse that the game show sees time and time again. Find out if he beat it or if someone else beat him.

Weikert, from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, faced off against David Weir, a retired court administrator from Palm Springs, California, and Neha Narayan, from Plainsboro, New Jersey, on Thursday’s episode. Weikert had a four-day total of $59,202.He said during the game that he doesn’t know what he will do with his winnings but will donate some of it to a scholarship fund he runs.

Host Ken Jennings said that if Weikert won his fifth game, it would guarantee him a spot in the upcoming Tournament of Champions. The game show contestant shook his head in disbelief. “But Neha and David are here on the Jeopardy! stage, trying to write a success story of their own,” Jennings said.

Weikert took charge of the game right away, answering questions about Bible verses and sports correctly, putting him in the lead. Narayan, a research assistant, was in second place. She found the first Daily Double of the game. With $2,200 in her bank, she made it a true Daily Double and wagered all of her money. The clue read, “Abu Qir Bay was the site of this 1798 battle, one of the greatest victories of Horatio Nelson.” She didn’t know the answer, losing all of her money. Jennings said that it was “The Battle of the Nile.”

At the end of the round, Weikert answered a question about Philadelphia, which is only a few miles from his hometown. He had $7,200 by the end of the round. Narayan, a map lover, had $2,000. Weir, who now works for an airline, had $0 after being in the negatives for most of the round.

In Double Jeopardy, Weikert missed a clue where the answer was literally his first name. He still led the round despite two triple stumpers. He found the first DD of the round. With $12,500 in his bank, he wagered $3,500. The clue read, “If my math is correct, it comes in part from Greek for ‘Earth Survey.'” “What is arithmetic?” he answered, which was wrong, dropping him down to $9,000. The answer was geometry.

Weikert found the final DD of the game. With $14,600 in his bank, he only wagered $4,000, which would still give him the lead if wrong. The clue read, “He was jailed in May 1930 after a march protesting a British tax on salt.” He answered, “Who is Gandhi?” which was correct. This brought his bank up to $18,600.

By the end of the round, Weikert had a substantial lead with $21,000. Narayan had $6,400, and Weir had $3,600. Unless Weikert made a risky wager, he was on track to win his fifth straight game.

The category for Final Jeopardy was “Landmarks.” The clue read, “This landmark features a relief of Agrippa approving the design of an aqueduct as well as Pietro Bracci’s statue of Oceanus.” Weir answered incorrectly with “What is the Aqueduct of Rome?” He wagered $2,802, making his final total $799. Narayan had a response of “What is the Colosseum?” which was also wrong. Weikert wrote, “What does the last place finisher in the ToC earn?” He wagered $0, keeping his lead of $21,000. The correct answer was the Trevi Fountain.

Weikert moves on to the Tournament of Champions and has a five-day total of $80,202. He will face off against two new contestants on Friday, March 28. The contestant broke the four-game curse this season.

The four-game curse is when contestants play five games and lose on the fifth game. Season 35 had the most ever with nine people not making it to game five. The show tapes five episodes per day, according to the website, so, if contestants continue to win, they play five games back-to-back. Fans cough it up to fatigue when it comes to the fifth game as the reason why many contestants lose after four wins.

“Fatigue strikes again,” said a Reddit user.

“Stamina definitely plays a role,” replied another. This season, Alex DeFrank fell victim to the four-game curse.

Reddit users commented on Weikert’s win. “Josh is gonna be a formidable contender in the ToC, in spite of his self-deprecating joke. Now the question is, how far can he take this amazing run?!” one fan said.